"Writing is the voice of my consciousness. It holds the mirror to innumerable reverberations of the ambience that birthed and grew me. My writing is a narrative of how my life and the world have impacted my psyche, my empathy, my emotional and mental acuity."
I have been writing since I was around 8-9 years old. However, none of my stories or poems, written then, were published. As a child I was a voracious reader. As I read books by my favourite authors, such as Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, Nevil Shute, Irving Wallace and many more, I was inspired to create and write stories, plays and poems. Writing books and getting them published has been my dream since childhood but it was only in the last decade that I have been able to achieve it. Now that my writing journey has started, I intend to keep walking it.
2. Have you been writing for long or it surfaced recently?
I have always been writing but never felt confident of my writing endeavours to get them to published. Being part of the educational publishing profession, some of my short stories or poems for children were published in English textbooks. However, it was only in 2014 that I decided to pen down a book and get it published. Along the way, I won the first prize for my short fiction awarded by the Write India Contest of the Times of India. That really boosted my morale and I sent off my psychological thriller manuscript, Dangle to Readomania Publishers who agreed to publish it. Since then, its been a roller coaster ride as I have published more than 10 books and many are on the way.
3. What does writing mean to you?
Writing is the voice of my consciousness. It holds the mirror to innumerable reverberations of the ambience that birthed and grew me. My writing is a narrative of how my life and the world have impacted my psyche, my empathy, my emotional and mental acuity. To me writing is more than just words on a page or screen. It is my life’s breath and I need to write to live.
4. Did you face any challenges while writing your stories? How did you attempt to solve it?
Oh! There have been and still are many challenges. Every day, new challenges loom up. When I began my career as a writer, the challenges I faced seemed unsurmountable. However, as I gradually overcame the first few of them, I realized that patience, persistence and never-say-die attitude is the key. Problems are like many strands of tangled variegated wool. One has to patiently find the ends, then carefully unravel and untangle each strand, until they separate into woolly balls of different, dazzling colours.
In fact, I welcome challenges. Finding solutions to challenges is not just supremely satisfying, at most times these challenges give us fresh insights, open up new vistas and begin new journeys.
5. Your works are rather versatile! Some historical masterpieces while some tickle bones of children! Do you love to experiment with genres?
You are right. I love working with a variety of genres. I have worked on historical narratives, fiction, thrillers, non-fiction and translation. You see, every genre has its own parameters of style, premise, story development, POV, setting and character build-up. I enjoy the challenge of exploring those parameters and exploiting their limits. Besides, I, myself, am the strongest critic of my writing. With each book, I try to raise the bar and standards of my writing. Every time, I try my hand at a new genre, that becomes a natural occurrence as a consequence of its demanding parameters. Each time, I learn more, invent fresh, try out something new. Writing in different genres is always a learning experience for I believe each new genre provokes me to refine my writing, makes me think, imagine, innovate and eventually create a better narrative.
6. It is said 'Finishing a manuscript is simply the beginning.' Did you face any hassles in the publishing process? How did you curb them?
I am an acolyte of the belief that states, ‘Writing a book is easy but getting it published is tough.’ I have faced many challenges in finding a willing publisher, getting the book published in time, getting the right artwork or cover design, marketing my book and finally achieving worthwhile sales.
My solution to these challenges is patience and understanding the publisher’s point of view. Also, I prefer to have confidence in my publishers when it comes to editing, marketing and selling my book. Once my book is released, I believe it is not just the publishers’ but also my responsibility to promote the book in every way I can whether on social media or through physical events. I firmly believe that the success of my book, in fact any book, is dependent on a successful working partnership between the author and the publisher.
7. Are you a full-time writer? If not, how do you juggle between work and writing?
I have worked at a day job for the last 50 years as an educator and publisher. So, I have had to juggle work and writing. Besides, I am a wife and mother, so home duties also abound. However, I have always sliced out a ‘me-time’ in my daily grind. It could be a few hours early morning or late night. Besides, I have a habit of jotting down notes on my phone whenever ideas jump into my mind. This system has worked wonderfully for me.
Over the last two years, I have retired from my day job and now I am a full-time writer. What helps me now and has always helped me is discipline. You see, writing has never been a hobby for me. So I have set a few rules for myself. One is to write every day. Next is to set work hours. Even now, I sit at my desk at 9 am and write till noon. After a rest, I come back to write for a few hours more. It is very easy to procrastinate when nobody is monitoring you. But I am very serious about my career as a writer and self-discipline works wonders.
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8. Do you have a writing technique or a ritual which you swear by?
Yes. I swear by writing something every day. It could be WIP book, a blog, or an article for my website, or a poem, but I WRITE. I also give myself deadlines, like at least one chapter of the WIP draft. My writing drafts or chapters are organized in files and folders. So when I sit to write, I have to only open the relevant file and continue from where I left off the previous day. I have a writing desk where I write daily. In that way, a new setting is not a distraction and I can focus on my writing.
9. How do you fight the evils of a writer's block?
Very frankly, I don’t believe in a writer’s block. With me, when I write daily, I may write terribly one day and wonderfully another day. But I do not let that stop me from writing. I can always edit bad writing but I can’t edit a blank page, can I? If there is day, when writing seems hard, I divert myself by reading. Most of my books require a lot of research, so I read or browse online. In that way, I am connected through the research to whatever I am writing at the moment even when not actively writing.
10. Lastly, please mention some words of wisdom for our readers.
I can only speak of what I have learned. Here are some of my experiences.
- Never make writing a hobby. If you don’t take it seriously, nobody else will.
- Writing is a lot of hard work. Be ready for it.
- Be disciplined with your writing routine.
- Read as much as you can, especially books in the genre you want to write. Find out how other writers tackle the genre. But never copy another writer’s style.
- Develop your own.
And most importantly, Never show your first draft to anyone and definitely not to a publisher. It will go directly in the bin. Be prepared to rewrite and edit a number of drafts. All good writers do this.
And most importantly, Never show your first draft to anyone and definitely not to a publisher. It will go directly in the bin. Be prepared to rewrite and edit a number of drafts. All good writers do this.
Bio :
Sutapa Basu is a prolific author, educationist, and writing coach with an impressive body of work. Her literary career began in 2016 with the publication of her first novel, "Dangle," a psychological thriller that was nominated for the Anupam Kher Award for Best Debut English Novel.
Since then, Basu has continued to captivate readers with her diverse writing, including historical fiction, anthologies, and educational series. Her "Invader Series" of historical novels, starting with "The Legend of Genghis Khan" and "The Curse of Nader Shah," have garnered critical acclaim, with the latter winning the Best Fiction Award at the Auther Awards in 2019.
As an educationist, Basu has authored numerous educational series, such as "The English Route" and "The English Tree," which are widely used in schools in India and abroad. Her children's fiction and poetry have also been selected for inclusion in school textbooks.
Basu's professional experience includes positions as a Vice Principal, Head of Department, and Managing Editor at various publishing houses. She has also founded Sutapa's Studio, a writing mentorship program. She runs a live chat show 'Bistro Buzz Conversations with Sutapa Basu' that hosts unique people from across spheres. Her passion for travelling and discovering stories hidden in unlikely places has given birth to her Youtube Travel Vlog called 'Sutapa’s Itchy Feet'.
Interviewed and Edited by - Anushka Dabhade
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